KEEPING YOUR RIDE WORKING LIKE A WELL-OILED MACHINE

Your truck is your livelihood, so keeping it functioning in peak performance takes time and effort. If you let scheduled maintenance slip it will cost you and your company, as well as putting other drivers’ lives in danger.

Before your trip, make sure to inspect every aspect of your truck so you know that it’s safe to drive. Keep in mind, this pre-trip checklist is more than just some bullet points, it’s a rule. If you haven’t looked at every item on this list, don’t get behind the wheel of your big rig. For more information on this rule (49 CFR 392.7) click here.

Service brakes, including trailer brake connections

Parking brake

Steering mechanism

Lighting devices and reflectors

Tires

Horn

Windshield wiper or wipers

Rear-vision mirrors

Coupling devices

Wheels and rims

Emergency equipment

Inspections are meant to help keep you and the public safe on Utah’s roads. There are six levels of inspections in the U.S.:

Level I: North American Standard Inspections

Level II: Walk-Around Driver/Vehicle Inspection

Level III: Driver-Only Inspection

Level IV: Special Inspections

Level V: Vehicle Inspection

Level VI: Enhanced NAS Inspection for Radioactive Shipments

There are 26 steps in a standard Level I inspection. For more information about each step, visit the Utah Trucking Guide on the Motor Carrier section of the UDOT website, udot.utah.gov or visit the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance website at cvsa.org.